Message
No. 7

Christmas
and Obedience!

Christmas
is

number one among the Christian festivals. All the good characters of
the Christmas story have exemplified obedience in some way or the other. We will
study seven of them here: Elizabeth & Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Wise
men, Angels and Jesus.

1.
Elizabeth & Zacharias

As
John the Baptist played the role of a forerunner for the ministry of Christ, the
parents of John, especially his mother, served as mentors for Mary as she was
growing the baby Jesus in her womb. They were actually relatives. The angel
quoted the case of Elizabeth to encourage Mary to believe God for the impossible
(Lk 1:36,37). The being together of these two miracle mothers for about three
months strengthened each other.

Luke
introduces Elizabeth and Zacharias as "righteous before God, walking in ALL
the COMMANDMENTS and ordinances of the Lord
blameless" (1:6). What a testimony! It was not a temporary obedience born
out of the initial enthusiasm of an encounter with God. Rather they were walking
in obedience consistently for a long time, until they were "well advanced
in years." The denial of the fruit of the womb did in no way deter them in
their walk with God. Their obedience was not "because of " some
blessing or "in order to" receive it. It was "in spite of"
the absence of a blessing and the hope of it totally gone. This was pure
obedience. Obeying God for who He was!

Though
understandably Zacharias questioned angel Gabriel, "How shall I know
this?" at the first instance, he settled down to quiet trust quickly. We
wonder why such a severe judgment was passed on a godly man for asking a sign
for the difficult promise. God is more strict with the obedient than the
disobedient. A school teacher may not mind if a borderline student fails, but
she will be terribly upset when a rank student gets poor grades. There are no
degrees in death, but in life there are! An old priest who had been walking with
God for many decades ought to have known His power better. We cannot compare him
with a teenage girl who asked a similar question (v 34). Was he not soon to
father a son whose ministry would be to turn "the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just"? (v 17).

Elizabeth
called Mary as "the mother of my LORD"
(v 43). The Lordship of Christ was a prophetic revelation to her and she
responded to it with submission and obedience. Knowledge without obedience is
empty. True wisdom is born out of reverential fear for God.

The
obedience of this godly couple is further illustrated in the naming of their
son. The neighbours and relatives, who had gathered to celebrate the birth of
the special child, wanted to name him as Zacharias after his father. But the
parents sternly answered, No! In order to obey God they even broke the tradition
of naming the child after any one of his relatives. They gave him the name,
John, as commanded by God (vv 58-63,13). What a rebuke for us who so easily
disobey Godís guidance just in order to please the family folks! John means
"God is gracious!" That was an apt name for the child which broke Godís
prophetic silence of nearly 400 years. God was visiting His people again ó graciously!
The dispensation of grace was dawning!

2.
Mary

Maryís
was an obedience par excellence. She would face overwhelming social pressures
because she would be pregnant with Jesus before marrying Joseph. But her humble
willingness is a model of trust and obedience for all of us.

The
virginal conception was not easy for Mary to understand. But she accepted it.
How could she do it? First, she realised her position before the Lord. She said,
"Behold the maidservant of the Lord!" (Lk 1:38). The word
"maidservant" actually meant a "slave." A slave who
remembers he is a slave knows that he cannot be questioning or discussing the
orders or instructions of his master. Obedience is not an option for him but an
obligation. If he obeys willingly itís a delight; otherwise itís still a
duty. There can be no place for "no" or "why" if Christ is
accepted as Lord in our lives.

Next,
Mary reckoned the power of Godís Word. She declared, "Let it be to me
according to Your Word" (v 38). Her knowledge of the Scriptures is
astounding. There are fifteen discernible quotations from the Old Testament in
her song (vv 46-55). The stories of how God created the world, delivered His
people from Egypt, saved them from their enemies, performed signs and wonders,
dethroned kings, established kingdoms, preserved His people in captivity, etc,
etc, had had a profound impact in the heart and mind of this village girl. Now
she was called to an experiential knowledge of what she had read. The moment the
angel said, "For with God nothing will be impossible," she confessed
her wholehearted surrender to Him. The message of the Old Testament Scriptures
came alive before her. Here is a lesson of practical importance. Saturating
ourselves with the Word of God is a prerequisite for a life of consistent
obedience. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly... And
whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord
Jesus" (Col 3:16,17).

Mary
and her husband meticulously followed the Law of God. Her purification was
"according to" the Law of Moses; their offering was "according
to" what is said in the Law of the Lord; and the presentation of the Baby
was "as it is written" in the Law of the Lord and "according
to" the custom of the Law (Lk 2:22,23,24,27).

These
days we purchase too many Study Bibles but study too few of them. We spend too
much time with audio and video tapes, but too little time with the reading and
personal meditation of the Bible. We go to meetings for excitement, enjoyment
and sometimes entertainment. We do not closet ourselves with an open Bible and
bent knees. We have become Biblical illiterates. We are ignorant of Godís ways
and how to please Him.

God
honours faith and rewards obedience. The angel greeted Mary saying,
"Blessed are you among women!" (Lk 1:28). Rejoicing over the privilege
of becoming the mother of the Saviour of the world, Mary herself said,
"Henceforth all generations will call me blessed!" (v 48b).
Because of faith and obedience a poor unknown Hebrew girl became the most
honoured woman in the history of the world. She became a pioneering example of
giving oneís body to God as a living sacrifice.

Letís
move on to study Joseph.

3.
Joseph

Engagement
in Palestine was a legally binding contract, usually arranged by parents. Sexual
relations were forbidden until after marriage. Josephís character is shown by
his decision to take private legal action to break the engagement instead of
publicly humiliating Mary. His obedience to the Lord in taking Mary as his wife
is the crown of his character. Matthew records, "Joseph did as the angel of
the Lord COMMANDED him and took to him his wife" (Mt
1:24). For a sexually immoral man it may not be shocking though surprising to
find his fiancee already pregnant. But being "a just man" as Joseph
was, with obviously a respectable standing in the society, it would have been a
great embarrassment whatever be the explanation. But as per the gospel record,
he didnít speak a word when the angel defended Maryís pregnancy and
attributed it to the work of the Holy Spirit. He just obeyed the Lord though the
communication came only in a dream, least dramatically. Whatever be the mode of
communication, once we have the inner conviction that the Lord has spoken to us,
we must not delay obedience in the guise of seeking further confirmation.

Joseph
also teaches us that civil laws must be obeyed not as a matter of convenience
but for the sake of conscience. Bethlehem was 90 miles from Nazareth. It was
atleast a three day trip. In obedience to the decree of Augustus Caesar, to get
their names registered, Joseph undertook this strenuous journey with Mary who
was in her late pregnancy. Joseph had known that obeying the government meant
obeying God (Lk 2:1-6; Rom 13:1-5).

God
spoke to Joseph thrice in dreams after the birth of Jesus for the protection of
the Baby from the hand of the enemies who sought to kill Him (Mt 2:13,20,22).
From Bethlehem he fled to Egypt. Then when he came into the land of Israel, he
had to turn aside into the region of Galilee. Such frequent shifts with a little
child and the nursing mother would not have been pleasant. "Cannot God who
so miraculously brought forth His Son into the world protect Him also
miraculously in the world? Why should the angels be simply appearing to me to
urge me flee from the enemies instead of encamping round about me and my family
to deliver us from Herods? Is the Baby really the Son of God and the Saviour?"
Such questions would have definitely haunted Josephís mind. But being a
habitually obedient man to God, he did not succumb to natural reasoning but
walked by faith.

Because
natural reasoning is subject to our limited knowlege, we cannot fly with the
wind of the Spirit unless we break open the cage of our intellect. Joseph might
not have realised that fleeing to Egypt or moving to Nazareth had prophetic
significance (Mt 2:15,23). God knows the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10).
"We are but of yesterday, and know nothing" (Job 8:9). The Lord is the
Alpha and the Omega. He is absolutely trustworthy. We will go wherever He sends.
We will do whatever He says. Obedience first, questions next. To put it in the
words of Jesus, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will
understand" (Jn 13:7).

4.
Simeon

The
players in the Christmas drama are of diverse backgroundóyoung and old, rich
and poor, wise and simple. Luke introduces Simeon simply as "a man in
Jerusalem" (Lk 2:25). He was righteous, devout and Spirit-filled, awaiting
the arrival of Messiah. The Holy Spirit is mentioned thrice in the three verses
which tell us about him. The Holy Spirit was on him... The Holy Spirit
had revealed to him... The Holy Spirit led him (vv 25,26,27).

Simeon
had come to the temple so often. But this was an unique moment. The timing was
orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. That was exactly when Mary and Joseph had
brought the Child Jesus into the temple. If Simeon had belittled the gentle
prompting of the Holy Spirit, he would have missed what he had been waiting for
all those years.

We
normally divide our affairs as major and minor. This of course is legitimate.
But we should not think that obedience to God in major issues of life is more
important than following His guidance in simple matters. What we may consider a
trivial matter today may ultimately affect our life as a crucial factor. As
children of God we must constantly be led by the Spirit in order that we may
please our heavenly Father in everything. A rocket that is deviated by a
fraction of a degree at the launching point will miss the target by million
miles. For the Kingdom people nothing is too small a matter to trifle with.

Simeonís
life had been characterised by genial guidance not only from the Holy Spirit but
also from the Holy Scriptures. With the Baby Jesus in his arms he blessed God
and said, "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according
to Your Word" (Lk 2:28,29). The inscribed word of the Scriptures and
the inspired voice of the Spirit are like the two eyes of God or His two lips
with which He directs our path. One complements the other and never contradicts.
Forgetting this, many have fancied themselves into awry guidance and spurious
experiences.

The
wise men from the East are the next in the line of those who acted in obedience
to God in the first Christmas.

5.
Wise men

The
wise men came from the East to Jerusalem asking, "Where is the One who has
been born King of the Jews?" (Mt 2:2). This indicates that they were
Gentiles. They were probably astrologers. They were quite fascinated by the
appearance of an unusual star and they named it as "His Star!" They
must have been discouraged when they found that the King had not been born in
Jerusalem and the leaders in Israel had not had sufficient knowledge concerning
the birth of the Messiah. The journey had been long and weary. But God rewarded
their earnestness. He made "His star" reappear! "When they saw
the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy" (v 10). Here is an
encouraging truth for us. If we are sincere to know Godís will and obey it, He
will certainly reveal it to us eventhough there may be temporary delays and we
may deviate mistakenly in between. Godís voice of correction from behind is
assured if we happen to deviate from the straight path (Isa 30:21).

The
wise men became "wiser" when they had to return to their country.
"Being divinely warned" in a dream they took a different route back
home (Mt 2:12). "Warned of God" in the original means "oracularly
answered," implying a preceding question. The Amplified Bible renders it
as, "Receiving an answer to their asking, they were divinely instructed and
warned in a dream not to go back to Herod..." Having made a mistake once,
because they solely depended on their common sense and went to Jerusalem, they
now sought a definite divine guidance. God does allow us make mistakes, but with
an educative purpose. The wise men had to return another way to bypass
Jerusalem. They probably ventured far south to Hebron, then followed the rugged
road to Gaza on the coast, where another road could lead them northward. This
route would have carried them through Nazareth, then Capernaum and on to
Damascus. This was obviously a much longer and more tedious journey. Obedience
costs!

We
will next look at the angels who played vital roles in the Christmas story.

6.
Angels

It
was Angel Gabriel who told Zacharias and then Mary that they would respectively
bring forth John and Jesus (Lk 1:19,26,27). But the angel who appeared to Joseph
and the shepherds is not named, but introduced as "an angel of the
Lord" (Mt 1:20; 2:13,19; Lk 2:9). It could well be Gabriel. Only two angels
are named in the Bible. The other one is Michael (Dan 10:13,21; Jude 9; Rev
12:7). Gabriel was often a messenger who communicated Godís plan (Dan 8:16;
9:21). Including the heavenly host, the angels we meet in the Christmas
narrative came specifically to earth on assignment. After their job was over
they went away "into heaven" (Lk 2:15). Even today they are "sent
forth" by God to minister to His people (Heb 1:14). But with the completion
of the canon of Scriptures, Godís guidance comes to us for all general matters
and most of the personal and specific issues through the written Word. Leaving
this primary and fundamental source of guidance is sure to lead us into
deception in the spirit world. Satan is not foolish to come to us in black with
horns and a tail. He usually appears in bright white (2 Cor 11:14).

Psalmist
Davidís description of the angels is a challenging call for obedience:
"His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding
the voice of His Word... His hosts... His servants, who do His
pleasure" (Psa 103:20,21). By reading the Christmas story in the Gospels of
Matthew and Luke we can quickly observe the briskness and promptness with which
the angels flew between Heaven and earth as Godís communicators. The
disobedient and the rebellious angels are the ones who joined Lucifer. While
referring to head-covering of women as a symbol of "authority" on her,
Apostle Paul refers to the presence of watching angels in the Church meetings (1
Cor 11:10). Apostle Peter contrasts the spirits of the "disobedient"
people of the days of Noah against the angels who are "subject" to God
(1 Pet 3:20,22). He adds that since angels are so desirous to look into the
glorious gospel blessings we enjoy, we must walk as "obedient
children" with all sobriety (1 Pet 1:12-14). We can constantly enjoy the
joy of angelic presence around us when we walk in submission and obedience
before God. Angels teach us that obedience is celebration!

We
finally come to the Hero of the Christmas storyóJesus!

7.
Jesus

The
Father God did not push His Son into the world. Rather the Son Himself
volunteered to come down from Heaven. Perhaps in a dateless past, God the Father
presented the dire need of the world in the Heavenly court saying, "Whom
shall I send, and who will go for Us?" What we read in Hebrews 10:5,7 is
probably the Sonís response. "When He came into the world, He said:
Behold, I have come... to do Your will, O God!" The Sonís initial act of
obedience gave us a Christmas and it culminated at Calvary. Apostle Paul
combined both the incarnation and crucifixion, and wrote, "Coming in the
likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil
2:7,8). Obedience from the Cradle to the Cross! A life lived out 100% to please
God!

Jesus
is the "Word become flesh" (Jn 1:14). The spoken and written Word of
God became incarnate in Jesus. Besides incarnation, all that had been written in
the "volume of the book" got fulfilled in the life of Jesus because He
lived in obedience to fulfil every minute detail of the Law (Heb 10:7; Acts
24:27; Mt 5:17,18).

We
earlier referred to the rich knowledge Mary had had in the Old Testament. How
much of Scriptural teaching and training the Boy Jesus must have received in the
carpenterís home at Nazareth is for anyone to guess. He thrilled the teachers
at the Jerusalem temple with his understanding of the Scriptures. He asked His
parents whether they had not known that He must be about His Fatherís
business. But He did not allow His wisdom and knowledge to puff Him up and make
Him unaccountable to His earthly parents. In obedience to the fifth of the Ten
Commandments which was "the first commandment with promise," He was
"obedient" to Mary and Joseph (Lk 2:47-51; Eph 6:1,2).

The
gospel records are silent about the eighteen years of Jesus from His twelfth
year. But that He walked in obedience before God is obvious from what His Father
testified at Jordon when He turned thirty. "This is My beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17). This must be our aim in life: To walk in
obedience before God to please Him in everything.

By
being obedient, Jesus became...

"Salvation"
for "all peoples" (Lk 2:30,31),

"Light"
to bring revelation to the "Gentiles" (v 32),

"Dayspring"
for "those who sit in darkness" (1:78,79), and

"Joy"
to "all people" (2:10,17).

Because
of His simple obedience and that of the other characters studied here we have a
Christmas.